By eck! Doctor Who showrunner reveals that Jodie Whittaker's Doctor will have a Yorkshire accent

Poor old David Tennant. The actor had to ditch his silky Scottish tones to play the thoroughly English tenth Doctor during his run in Doctor Who, but all his time-travelling successors have since been allowed to freely retain their own homegrown dialects (including Peter Capaldi with his thick Glaswegian accent).

It looks like the BBC is continuing to have fun with multi-accented Time Lords, too, as Jodie Whittaker - making her grand debut as the thirteenth Doctor this Christmas - will be holding on to her distinctive Yorkshire accent as the first female incarnation of the sci-fi icon.

The news comes by way of an exclusive interview with showrunner Steven Moffat in the new issue of SFX magazine, as he prepares to depart the show alongside Capaldi. Speaking to SFX, Moffat reveals that fans will quickly get over the Doctor's new female appearance and soon be asking another question...

“You’ll spend more time in that first episode reacting to her accent than her gender," explains Moffat. "It’ll be, 'Oh, what a big fuss... oh, she’s funny, isn’t she?... Yorkshire? Why’s she got a Yorkshire accent?' That’s going to be it.” Adding that Whittaker is “a fireball of mischief and humour and energy” he's certainly got everyone excited about the new Doctor.

We’ll see if Moffat’s predictions are correct soon enough when Twice Upon a Time airs on the BBC on December 25.

You can read Moffat's entire interview in the new issue of SFX magazine - out tomorrow - as part of a 24-page Doctor Who special feature, packed with behind-the-scenes insights into the Christmas episode, alongside interviews with Peter Capaldi, David Bradley, and more. Never want to miss an issue? Subscribe now and get up to 35% off in our Christmas sale.